George & Lucy: What happened after the Wizard War
by Bison14
Summary: George is in a terrible state after his twin brother Fred died in the great Wizard War. His family tries as best they can to help him through this time. Will an American named Lucy be just what he needed? Rated M for adult content in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It had been about six months since the chaotic battle that led to Lord Voldemort's fall. The past few months had been a mixture of strange and confusing feelings for everyone. Of course wizards everywhere were overjoyed that Lord Voldemort would no longer haunt and terrify them. It was the first time in a very long time that people could breathe easy, but it wasn't that simple. The road leading to Lord Voldemort's defeat was paved with tragic deaths and a lot of pain. Even so, everyone had come a long way in the past six months. Everyone aside from George that is. It seemed like everyone had something to look forward to in the wake of the battle except for him.

Ron and Hermione finally admitted their feelings for one another and things were new and exciting for them now. They were happy. So happy in fact that Ron had already asked Hermione to marry him. He had asked her over the weekend and the family was having dinner to celebrate. This of course meant that Harry would be over, especially since he and Ginny were together again; another happy couple George would have to look at. He wanted to be happy for everyone, and really he was, but at the moment he found it difficult to express any emotion aside from anger. Six months later and he was still angry. It made him hard to be around.

Despite the difficulty he was having, he was trying to move Weasley's Wizard Wheezes back into a shop in Hogsmeade. Since Hogwarts wasn't up and running yet, Ginny had been helping him out, as well as Ron. Just yesterday George had blown up at them both over something really dumb and was feeling badly about it, but he didn't know what to say. He was never very good at apologies, but still he had always been better then Fred. He was worried about dinner tonight because he knew he was going to feel awkward about the blow up. He decided to go look for Ginny before dinner to see if he could get out some sort of apology. As luck would have it, he ran into her in the hallway of the burrow.

"Hey Gin. Umm...I was hoping you'd come back to the shop tomorrow to keep working on set up. It's going really well and all…and I know I was a prat yesterday…sorry."

Ginny knew that that was hard for George to say, and it amused her a bit to see him being so awkward. She felt that was a good enough apology.

"Of course, George," is all she said in response.

"Thanks. Maybe you could pass that on to Ron as well?" he asked. She nodded and said she would tell him.

"Ginny! Harry is here!" they heard from downstairs. It was Molly.

"Ok mum! Coming!" yelled Ginny. She gave George a small smile before leaving him in the hallway so she could go greet Harry. Dinner would be ready in about an hour and George decided to wait in his room, by himself, until then.

He heard a commotion downstairs when Ron and Hermione arrived. Ron had gone to pick her up at her parent's house. George knew he should go downstairs but he didn't really want to, so he waited until they sent someone up for him. Everyone had been so patient with him through this, but it had been a long time and everyone's patience would undoubtedly run out soon. Luckily for George though, everyone still had a grip on it. It had been Ron who was chosen to come fetch him.

"Hey mate, I talked to Ginny downstairs. What time do you want to start tomorrow?" George felt relieved.

"Not too early, let's all sleep in a bit" answered George.

"Alright, great. Ready for some dinner then?" asked Ron.

"Yeah sure. Let's go." And with that they headed down for dinner.

Molly was dealing with the death of her son in her own unique way. She was constantly cooking or cleaning something. Always making a fuss over any occasion. The engagement was the perfect distraction for her. She had clearly put her all into the dinner that night. Everything tasted amazing; even better than usual. Everyone had just started to slow down a bit on their feasting when Molly asked when the wedding would be.

Hermione beamed, "Well, I of course want to finish school first, so that's at least a year." She looked at Ron who was smiling at her.

"Yeah," he said, "We don't want to rush that part. We decided a long engagement would be best. I'll be helping George for a bit and I'll save up some money while Hermione is at school."

"That sounds smart, very smart indeed kids!" said Arthur.

"Yes, we are very proud of you both!" added a very happy looking Molly. "Let's have some dessert!" she said in a joyful tone. With that she and Hermione got up to get the cake.

"Harry, tell us," said Arthur," how is Auror training going? I heard Wembly Smith praising you the other day."

"Everything has been excellent. I'm really excited to do some field work and get some more experience under my belt. A lot of people have been asking about Ron too; wondering when he is going to come join me in training," Harry told them. Arthur was clearly very pleased with this.

"Wonderful!" he said.

"That would be a great opportunity for us Ronald," Hermione added," a good way to save up for the future" she said in a loving tone.

"Yeah, I reckon when George is all set-up and the shop is running, I'd really like to look into an Auror position" said Ron. George tried to keep quiet, but what Ron said really got under his skin. What was Ron trying to say? Was he trying to insinuate that the shop was burden and he was helping George out of pity? The joke shop wasn't good enough for him? He abruptly stood up, and as if everyone had heard what he was thinking, said "Well if that's how you feel about it Ron, just forget it!"

He left the table and told everyone he wanted to be alone and walked out the back door towards the garden. Everyone was perplexed and the shocked silence seemed to hang for minutes.

"Bloody hell, what was that about?" said Ron.

"He has been so moody since Fred died," said Ginny, "I know it's hard, we all know, but really…I wonder if he is ever going to come out of it." Hermione, of course had some insight into what Ginny said.

"Well, I have been reading some muggle books written about how people deal with death. They talk about the seven stages of grieving. They are shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger, depression, the upward turn, reconstruction, and acceptance. From what I have read, and from the way George has been acting lately, I'd say he is in the anger stage" Hermione told them. "If he keeps progressing then I would say the worst may be right ahead. The depression stage seems to be the most difficult. It's when your loss truly hits you. He'll probably isolate himself but this stage is important. We shouldn't try to rush him through it"

"Well I can't imagine it getting worse than this" Ron said.

Arthur chimed in, "We'll all have to stick together through this. Keep helping him with the shop and what not, so maybe he will have something to look forward to." Everyone agreed and, stuffed as can be, made their ways from the table and all up to bed.

The next month proved to be a really tough one. The girls received their letters from Hogwarts and were doing what they could to prepare for their return to school. They were both very excited. Ginny and Ron were working hard together to set the shop up properly. The fact that George was almost never around to direct things made it very difficult. It took a lot of organizing and teamwork which wasn't always easy for the siblings. Molly was often around to help as well, and with all of them there trying to make decisions, it was slow going. That would have been hard enough to deal with, but George's absence really complicated things. He had indeed progressed through the stages of grief as predicted by Hermione. He now spent more than half his time alone, and even when he wasn't alone, he might as well have been because he was in his own world. He really seemed to have hit rock bottom. He had no opinions about his own shop even. He told Ron and Ginny to "do whatever they thought was good". It didn't help that in less than a month Ginny would be leaving for school.

After about two and a half weeks, Ron realized that they were way off of schedule. Ginny agreed they were behind. "It's too hard with just you and me. We don't agree on anything and with this time crunch I feel rushed. I think we should hire someone. Someone who can stay and help you run the place when it is finally open. Especially if George still isn't himself then" Ginny said.

"Yeah that's not a bad idea" Ron said, "but we'd have to ok it with George because he would have to pay them."

"I'm sure he'll say he doesn't care" said Ginny. Ron thought about it.

"Yeah, and maybe they'll even stay when George is back to normal, so I can look into a ministry job. That's what I really want to do you know" said Ron.

"Well I think it's only fair. You've sacrificed a lot so far to help George. I get to go to school like I want, and it's only fair that you should get to do what makes you happy" said Ginny.

"It does make me happy to help George, just… not in the same way" said Ron.

"Then it's settled" said Ginny, "We'll start interviews ASAP!" And with that, Ron and Ginny had decided to get themselves, and George, some hired help.

Finding someone who seemed capable turned out to be harder than expected. "We must have seen every looney in Hogsmeade today!" said Ron, feeling exasperated. "I can't believe that no one we've seen is even a possibility! Where are all the sane people?"

"Yeah things aren't looking so good" agreed Ginny, "we only have two people left to see. Next up is Lucy Van Buren. She should be here in a couple of minutes."

"I don't know if I can handle anymore today…" Ron said as Lucy Van Buren walked through the door for her interview.

After about ten minutes of talking to Lucy she seemed like a dream come true. It surprised both Ginny and Ron that she was an American. She was also a wizard of course and she went to wizarding school in the United States naturally. Neither Ron nor Ginny had heard of it though: Smithwick's School for the Magically Inclined. Ron thought that sounded awfully fancy. She was so pleasant and cheery but her sweetness didn't make Ginny want to puke. She had an almost calming presence. She seemed like everything they needed and more. Even though they both knew she was the one, they excused themselves to "talk it over" in private.

"Ron, this girl is perfect! She seems to totally have her shit together and she has a sense of humor and she is just sooo nice." Ginny said excitedly.

"Yeah I totally agree. She has a great personality and she is really cute too. If George doesn't like her as much as we do he is crazy" Ron said. They couldn't wait to tell her she was in and to get things started.

"Well Lucy, we think you're great and we would love you to come and work with us" Ginny told her, "I have to tell you though that we need new help because I'm going to be gone in just under a week. I want to finish school, so I'm going back to Hogwarts to start my school year." Ron chimed in too.

"Also, our brother George, who owns the shop, hasn't been doing great lately. It's another reason we really need help and we just wanted you to know the situation before you decided to take the job or not. Don't get me wrong, he is a great guy. If he ever starts being himself again you'll love him. I just wanted to give you fair warning that he isn't so fun right now." Ron hoped he hadn't scared her off by saying all that, but it was only fair to tell her.

"Well, I think it'll be fine," Lucy said," I would love to take the job! As for your brother, I'll be fine. I think I'm good at reading people, and I just won't bother him."

"Awesome! So why don't we give you a little tour right now and show you what we have been working on," Ron said, "and since Ginny will be gone soon, maybe we can discuss ideas of what we might do in the next couple of weeks to set up the shop." With that, the three of them made their way around the shop and Ron and Ginny introduced Lucy to the world of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

After their afternoon showing Lucy around, it was time for Ginny and Ron to go home and tell George that they had hired someone. Ron was feeling a lot of relief after discussing ideas with Lucy. She had a lot of ideas for the place and Ron was glad there was some sort of direction to go on now. He was really hoping George took this well, the shop really needed Lucy. She was creative and organized. Two things Ron was not. What the shop needed most though, was George back in it. Ron was hoping if they did a good enough job it would remind George of what he was missing. He also hoped it would encourage George to come back faster, so maybe he could get his life on track too. George's problems were wearing their welcome thin.

"George" Ginny began, "listen. Ron and I have been responsible for almost everything that is going on with the shop. So because of that we took it upon ourselves to hire someone. She is going to help Ron out while I'm gone."

"Yeah mate," added Ron "she's really cool too. We are hoping you'll like her as well, and maybe you'll want to keep her…ya know…when you come back." There was a long silence which was making Ron and Ginny feel nervous. However, after a few minutes George simply said, "fine" and that was it.

Ron and Lucy proved to be a great team. Within the month they managed to get more done together, than whole family had managed to accomplish together. Lucy was such a light-hearted person and was so easy to be around and work with. She was encouraging and sweet and the days went by quickly because she was funny too. Ron couldn't help but often think how much George would have liked that month they spent working together. Lucy was curious about her mysterious boss as well. Ron found himself telling a lot of George and Fred stories while they worked, and he loved it. It made him feel happy to remember the times before Fred died and how much fun his older brother was. Lucy told Ron she couldn't wait to meet George, even if he wasn't the same. "He sounds like an incredible person. Someone with that much spirit has got be able to bounce back from something like this. He had a hard fall though, so it makes sense that it would take a long time" Lucy said to Ron one night after some stories.

"I love your positivity Lucy. I hope you can rub off on George. I can't wait for him to see this place. I'm going to ask him to come in tomorrow. You'll come, won't you Lu?" Ron said.

"Yeah, of course I'll be here," she answered.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, as promised, George came with Ron and Ginny to see the newly completed joke shop. He also knew he was going to have to meet this girl Ron and Ginny hired. They had been raving about her since she was hired, and George, still not feeling entirely himself, was skeptical that she would be as wonderful as they made her out to be.

The three of them arrived before Lucy, so even though he had wanted to wait, Ron let Ginny and George in anyway. Ginny was so excited when she saw the place. "Ron, this looks incredible! I can't believe how much you've done!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing, but Lucy should really get the credit," Ron said. George was very quiet as he took it all in. This made Ron and Ginny nervous. They had no idea what to think. It took George a few minutes to reveal, to their relief, what he was thinking about the new set-up.

"Ron...this...this is really wonderful," George said quietly. Ginny and Ron pretended not to notice the tears that had welled up in his eyes. They were so pleased that he clearly really loved his new shop. They both knew that it was a big deal that he felt this way. As George had turned away from his siblings in order to wipe the tears from his eyes, he heard the door open and Ron greeting the girl named Lucy. He knew how much she helped Ron to finish his joke shop and all at once he was feeling a lot of emotions he hadn't been expecting. He was nervous to meet her. After all, she was a total stranger who stepped in and helped create this beautiful new shop. Something _he_ should have been doing. All at once he felt nervous, excited, and maybe even a little ashamed. He knew he had to turn around and say hello before this became an awkward moment.

"George, mate, this is Lucy," Ron said as he clapped his hand on George's shoulder and introduced her.

"Hello!" she grinned, holding out her hand. George was caught off guard for a moment. She wasn't what he had expected. But then again, he thought to himself, what _was_ I expecting? He then realized he hadn't answered her.

"Hi," he said softly. He wanted to thank her for everything, but he was having trouble finding words. He felt like this was a very touching and private moment for him, being reunited with the shop he and his brother created together, and here was a girl he had never met witnessing the whole thing. She was a stranger, yet she had help make this moment a reality. All of these thoughts were making George feel confused, and on top of that, awkward for not knowing what to say. If this were the old days, he never would have felt awkward or lost for words. Everything was so different without Fred. George decided he needed a moment alone, so having only said one word to Lucy, he excused himself to his brand new office in the back of the shop where he could be alone.

"Lu, I don't know what that was all about," Ron said in response to the awkward scene that had just played out between them all. "I know he really loves it though."

"Well that's a relief to know," Lucy said smiling, "I was afraid he hated it...or me!" she said laughing a little. "Don't worry though Ron, I'm not taking it personally."

"I'm going to go see if he is alright," Ron said, leaving Ginny and Lucy alone in the front of the store. As Ron walked to the back, Molly and Arthur were coming in to see the finished place. Ginny and Lucy gave them a tour and showed them everything. Molly was so smitten with the shop and with Lucy as well. "Lucy, dear. This is just so brilliant! I am so happy you're here! You must come to dinner! Are you free tonight?" Molly asked.

Lucy blushed. She was really a very modest girl and all of these thank yous and all of this gushing from the members of the Weasley family was too much. "Thank you so much, Mrs Weasley! It was nothing, really. I was just doing my job. And Ron is great, he did so much work. I would love to come for dinner, but, well...I'm not sure if George would like that. He seems like maybe he needs to warm-up to me a little."

"Nonsense dear! He won't mind a bit, and what better way to warm-up to you, then to spend some time with you. I'm so grateful, you might as well consider yourself part of the family now, because that's how I feel. See you this evening! No if's, and's, or but's about it." And with that the Weasley parents exited the building.

While the dinner invitation was being offered in the front of the store, Ron had been talking to George in his office. "You alright, George?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry mate. I just. Well, I was just thinking a million things at once out there. I just needed to take a minute." George replied.

"Well, what were you thinking about?" Ron asked, "about the shop? About Lucy? You don't dislike her, do you?"

"No no, I don't dislike her. And the shop, it's amazing. I just felt, well, almost guilty about not being here this whole time, and then seeing what you and she did. I don't even know her, and look at what she's done for me. It seemed slightly embarrassing really," George told his brother.

Ron thought about this for a minute. "Yeah," he said, "I reckon I see what you mean. But, you know how great we think she is. You don't have to be embarrassed. She wanted to work here, and she's so nice. She couldn't wait to meet you," Ron told him.

"Well, I can't say I came across as friendly or gracious, did I? She probably thinks I'm a prat,"Said George. He really didn't want her to think badly of him. He just hadn't been around anyone but his family for so long, he knew it would take a little time to get used to a new person.

"Nah, she doesn't think that at all. I told her you really like the shop, and she said she didn't take it personally. Really mate, you'll see how fast you come to like her. Ginny and I took to her immediately. She's the kind of person that makes you feel like you've known her your whole life, even though you just met her. And she's funny too. Come on, let's go back out and talk to her and Ginny."

"Well, she sounds great, but, I think I just still need a minute. I'll come out in a bit," George said.

"Ok," Ron said, "We'll see you in a bit" and with that he left his brother alone in his office to think about the morning's events. He really hoped he liked Lucy as much as his family did. It would be nice to have a new friend.

That night, Molly was setting the table for dinner when George came down from his room. "Oh. George dear, help me set the table?" she asked her son. She handed him the plates and silverware, and that's when George noticed the extra chair.

"Who's coming for dinner Mum? Hermione or Harry?" he asked.

"Neither dear, I invited Lucy for dinner. I just wanted to give her a thanks for all the help, and she is so far away from her family, I thought she might like a nice home cooked meal" Molly told him.

"Yeah...right," George said. He suddenly felt that nervousness again. He couldn't explain it though. It was as if he was afraid she was going to judge him for slacking on his own shop. On his own hopes and dreams. Like she might think he was a loser.

"George!" Molly called out, "What's wrong? Why are you just standing there with that plate?" He hadn't noticed he had stopped, lost in this thoughts.

"Sorry Mum, just spaced out for a second. What's for dinner?" he asked.

"Spaghetti and meatballs. And pumpkin pie for dessert. Two of your favorites," she answered.

"Great," he said as he smiled his best fake smile, "I think I'll just go upstairs and change before dinner," and with that he ran upstairs.

When George came downstairs again later, Lucy had already arrived and she, Ron, Ginny, Arthur, and Molly were just about to sit for dinner. "Oh good George, dear, you came down. I was just about to send Ron up for you. Well sit! Sit! Time to eat," Molly said, smiling a big smile. Dinner was delicious and the conversation was pleasant. Molly and Arthur asked Lucy a million questions, all of which she seemed more than happy to answer. Once Arthur found out her mom was a muggle, and that she was raised as one, with muggle friends and all, Arthur couldn't help but ask her all kinds of silly things. Lucy didn't seem to mind though.

"Because my mom isn't a witch, my parents decided to raise me like a muggle, even though my dad is a wizard. They figured there was always a chance I didn't inherit the magic, so just in case I wasn't a witch I would be able to lead a comfortable muggle life," she told the family at dinner.

"Brilliant!" Arthur said with enthusiasm. He lived for muggle studies.

"I agree," Lucy smiled, "I love knowing so much about both worlds. It's great. I'm glad I was lucky enough to get the magic from my dad's side though. I actually have an old friend back home in the states, in New Jersey, who is a squibb! I think it makes her sad sometimes, but at least we know each others' secret. It was nice when I was growing up to have someone so close to me that I didn't have to lie to about my family. I think that's the only thing I don't like about being a witch. I can't be totally honest with all the friends I love, but it's got to be that way."

By the end of dinner, George could see all the nice things Ron had said about Lucy. He knew she didn't think he was a prat, or a slacker, or a loser. He could see that she was a genuine person, and if she thought any of those things about him, it would be obvious. Realizing this made him wonder why he thought she would be judgmental. He realized that he just felt all of those things about himself. That convincing himself that someone else thought those things about him was easier to deal with than knowing he felt those things about himself. He decided right there at the dinner table to do something about it.

"Excuse me everyone," he interrupted," I just wanted to say something." This was really the first time George had decided to speak since dinner started, so everyone quickly got quiet, eager to hear what he was going to say. "I just wanted to say thank you to my brother and sister and to Lucy for rebuilding my shop. I know now that I need to step up and do what I should have been doing all along. So, what I'm trying to say is, I'm going to start working in the shop again, immediately." Everyone at the table was so happy. They were all gushing and fussing. Lucy smiled and said congrats, but George couldn't help but notice the slight disappointment in her eyes, or perhaps it was worry, but either way he needed to speak up. "And Lucy, I know we don't know each other yet, but I am hoping you'll stay on as my employee. You obviously have talent, and my family clearly likes you very much. So, will you stay?" he asked her.

Lucy was so relieved. She really didn't want to leave the shop, or the Weasley family either. She felt so welcome with them. "Yes, I'd be happy to stay,"she answered.

That night George went to bed feeling optimistic for the first time in months and months. Also, to his surprise, he was thinking about the new girl, Lucy, that was apparently going to be part of his life now. This might have been the first night since Fred died that he didn't go to bed thinking about his brother and feeling nothing but despair.


	3. Chapter 3

When Lucy got to her flat that evening, after having had dinner with the Weasley family, she felt excited and happy. She knew being an honorary part of the Weasley family was going to be fun. She could tell they were a lively, funny, and warm family. What more could she ask for?

She was also happy to know that George was welcoming her. She had finally met the man she had been working for and, knowing he loved her work was a great feeling. She knew how much the shop meant to him, since Ron told her so much about him during the time they worked together. What she hadn't expected however, was the feeling she had when she first saw him. When she looked at him she felt like she was looking at an old friend. She automatically felt a warmth toward him and it was very nice, especially since she was so far away from her old friends at home.

She also hadn't anticipated how good looking he turned out to be. She didn't think much about it however. She figured it was just a little crush, and over time it would dissipate. After all, George was in no shape to be in a relationship, so she knew she really shouldn't like him. "Hmm," she thought to herself, "easier said than done."

A few days after George's announcement at dinner, he kept his word and started working in the shop again. He started slowly though. He didn't hang out on the floor and chat with Lucy and the customers. He stayed in the back, in his office all day, working on the business end of things. He still wasn't used to being around a lot of people, and being on the floor reminded him of being out there with Fred. Even though the shop was different from when Fred was alive, it still brought back a lot of memories that George wasn't quite ready to deal with. So, he was taking baby steps by coming in everyday and working, even if it was just in the office.

Lucy tried her best to bother George as a little as possible while this was going on. She very much wanted him to come out and talk to her and for them to become friends, but she knew that wouldn't happen if she rushed him along. So, in the start she sucked it up and stayed in the front with the customers alone most days. Ron was there every once in a while, but once Lucy learned the ropes, they both agreed he should come in less and less, and work on his own future. Lucy very much wanted Ron to be happy as well, so she encouraged him start working on his career as an Auror as soon as possible. She knew that eventually George would start coming out, and until then, she assured Ron she could handle things on her own.

One day, after the shop had closed, Lucy was there cleaning up after the day's shoppers. She usually listened to her favorite American music while she did this, and today was no different. She was singing along to one of her favorite bands, as well as doing a bit of dancing as she cleaned. She got so into the song, she had entirely forgotten that George was still in the office. She had turned the song up very loudly, which caught George's attention in the office. He got up to go see what was going outside. He quietly opened the door to his office, and when he did so, he saw Lucy singing happily as she returned items to their proper place here and there in the shop. He leaned against the doorway and watched her for a moment. He couldn't help but smile a little bit, especially since it was so obvious that she had forgotten someone else was there.

Eventually Lucy's dancing turned her in the right direction to see George standing and watching her. She immediately turned red, not only because she was embarrassed to be caught singing and dancing, but she was also so startled she jumped, and this too embarrassed her. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, "I forgot you were here! You scared the crap out of me!...I'm sorry if it was too loud."

"No, it wasn't too loud, but I did hear it, which is why I came out. Who is it anyway?"George asked her.

"It's a band from home. They're called Saves the Day. They might be my favorite band" she told him.

"I like it. It's catchy," George said to her with a small smile. "Well, I'm getting ready to head out. Don't stay too long cleaning, eh."

Lucy was happy that George had come out of his office and talked to her finally, even if it was only for a minute or two. She decided that the next day she would bring him breakfast, as a friendly gesture.

The next morning, in an attempt to encourage George's friendly behavior from the night before, Lucy showed up to work with two breakfast sandwiches and two chocolate milks. George was of course in his office, so she knocked on the door. "Morning George," she said quietly.

"Morning Lucy. What's up?" George replied.

"Nothing really. I just thought you might like some breakfast. I brought in sausage and egg sandwiches, and chocolate milk,"she said with a smile. She took one of each out of the brown paper bag and set them on his desk and then turned to leave his office. She wanted to be friendly, but not too overstay her welcome in his little sanctuary he called an office.

"Thanks! Um...Lucy, why don't you sit? It seems silly to not eat together if we both have some breakfast," George told her.

"Ok," she said. Lucy was very happy he had asked her to sit down. At first neither said much, but slowly George began asking her questions about her life before coming to England and growing up as a muggle. He asked her about America and New Jersey, where she grew up. He was very glad she had brought breakfast for them both, and that they sat and got to know one another a little better. This was the morning that began their friendship.


	4. Chapter 4

After Lucy had brought breakfast in, and she and George shared it in his office, things began to change. After that day, he started to venture out more often and spend time with Lucy in the front of the store. George really liked being around Lucy. When he felt like talking, he did, and when he didn't feel like it, that was OK with her. She never pried and George truly appreciate that. Unlike his family, Lucy just let George be quiet if that's what he wanted. She understood when he just needed to be around someone without having to talk. Lucy also seemed to have a never-ending supply of hilarious stories about her friends back home. George loved to listen to her as she remembered stories and laughed about them as she told them. In the past, it would have been him telling tale after wild tale, but he liked being on the other end of the story-telling. He was definitely a captive audience when she talked.

"You sure do have some crazy friends back home, Lu." George said to her one day after she shared a story about her friends Petey and Matt.

"I really do know some characters. That is true. I really miss them," she replied. "I recently met a nice couple who live in my building. They invited me out to a karaoke bar with them tomorrow night."

"What's a karaoke bar?" George asked. Lucy forgot that George wouldn't what karaoke was.

"Oh. It's a bar that sing in. There are television screens with the words to the songs on them and you sing along, in front of everyone. It's is so fun! You know what a television is, right?"

"Yeah, I've seen one once. You know how my dad is with the muggle stuff. He's told us about them, but I've never really seen a working one."

"Wow," Lucy replied. "So you've never watched a movie? Or sang karaoke? Man George, I think you are missing out on some things you would really love. Come with us tomorrow night! It'll be really fun."

George smiled and thought about this offer for a moment. He told Lucy he would love to go with them and she was thrilled. She reminded George that they would be entering the muggle world for the evening, because of course there aren't any karaoke bars in wizard towns. He was excited at the thought of pretending to be a muggle for the evening.

So the next night George and Lucy went out to the karaoke bar with Lucy's muggle neighbors. Lucy was right about George loving it. That night was just the beginning of nights out for George and Lucy. They started hanging out a lot after that night. Lucy showed George movies and muggle music she knew he would love and George invited Lucy to the Weasley's for dinner all the time. They grew very close and became best friends. Or was it more?

Lucy loved every minute she spent with George, and hard as she tried to deny it, she knew she was in love with him. What she did not know however, was that George was in love with her too. But, what they both knew, without ever needing to say it to one another, was that George was still in his grieving process. He was still healing and he wasn't fit to be in a real relationship. Both of them knew this, and because of that, neither had told the other how they truly felt. Despite the lack of communication on the subject, each had a feeling that their love was reciprocated by the other, but neither knew for sure. So, for the time being, their relationship was fated to continue as best friends.


	5. Chapter 5

A few months had passed since George and Lucy had grown so close. The change in George's demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the Weasley family. Everyone could tell that George was becoming happier day by day. He was starting to be more like the George they used to know. He wasn't exactly the same, but he was beginning to be more jovial and he smiled and laughed much more often. So, when the day came that George told Molly and Arthur he was ready to move and get his own flat again, he wasn't met with too much protest. Molly was of course still a bit nervous about the idea, but she tried her best to hide this, because she knew eventually this day would have to come. George was very excited about apartment hunting and of course he asked Lucy to help him look.

After looking at a few apartments, Lucy and George finally found the perfect apartment for George, It was a bright sunny place, with large windows that let light shine into the large combination living room and kitchen. The kitchen had old exposed brick on its walls, and the living room was painted a beautiful cobalt blue. It was the perfect bachelor pad. George was thrilled that he now had an apartment of his own to hang out in. He loved going to Lucy's apartment but going there also made him realize how much he needed his own space as well.

Once George moved himself into his new place, his first order of business was to throw a dinner party. He invited his parents, Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny, and of course Lucy. The most interesting part of George's flat was that he chose to live in a muggle neighborhood. He really loved being at Lucy's place where they could sit on a couch and watch movies on the television and cook dinner together, muggle style. So George found a place where could the same. Because of this, Lucy came over before the dinner party to help George cook dinner. Cooking together was one of Lucy's favorite things to do with George. He really had a natural talent for it and Lu loved to watch him in action: sleeves rolled up, totally lost in concentration. She completely adored it; he was really sexy when he cooked.

When everyone arrived at George's, dinner was all ready. While Lucy set the table and put all the food out, George gave everyone a tour of the apartment. It didn't take long to see all the rooms in the place because all there was was the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and a small balcony. Even so, it took longer than need be because Arthur was so fascinated with the muggle things.

At dinner everyone told George how much they loved the apartment and how delicious dinner was. It clearly made everyone happy to see George doing so well. Hermione and Ron also updated everyone on wedding plans. They had begun planning and hoped to get married in about four months. It seemed like everyone was doing really well and everyone was very happy.

After dinner, Arthur demanded that Lucy show him how the television and DVD player worked. While everyone gathered in the living room, Ginny decided to help George clean up from dinner (Molly tried to clean-up, but George said she would absolutely not clean in his apartment.) While doing the dishes Ginny asked George about he and Lucy.

"So, you and Lucy seem to be very close these days. Are you two dating?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"Dating?" George said, sounding shocked at the idea. "No, of course not. We're just friends."

"Oh," Ginny said,"it just seemed like maybe there was more going on there."

"Nope, nothing more. Just best friends," George insisted.

Ginny didn't reply to this, because she didn't believe George but it was obvious he wasn't going to tell her otherwise. She wondered if he was trying to convince her that they were just friends, or himself. Either way, she dropped it.

Ginny's inquires did get George thinking about Lucy though. But truthfully, George thinking about Lucy wasn't an uncommon occurrence. He thought about her all the time actually. He loved when they sat together and watched movies. She always knew exactly what movies he would like and since he never saw any movies until he met her, he had to trust her taste. He especially loved the movie nights that ended up with the two of them sharing a blanket on the couch. He couldn't help but love being close to her.

"George!" Ginny shouted. Apparently he had spaced out while doing the dishes (because he was thinking about _her_), and he hadn't heard Ginny saying his name. "Geez George, what were you thinking about? Anyway, everyone is getting ready to go, so come say good bye."

After everyone left, George sat down next to Lucy on the couch. "So what are we watching tonight Lu?" he asked.

"Your choices tonight are Lucky Number Slevin, Hook, or Edward Scissorhands. All very good."

"Let's go with Edward Scissorhands. I've been wanting to see that one for a while." he answered. George smiled at Lucy as she put the movie in the DVD player. He had a nice comfy blanket all ready to go. It had been a truly great night.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been raining for weeks and Lu could barely stand it any longer. She and George were working in the shop, and nobody was out and about on this miserable day, so it was just the two of them. Lu sat staring out the window and George was doing slow laps through the displays. "I can't take this weather much longer George," she said to him.

"I know what you mean," he replied.

"I need a vacation. How about you?" she asked.

"That's an idea," George answered.

"I want to be in the sunshine, and in the woods, and with old friends. I want to go camping." she said.

"So take a couple of weeks off and go home. See your friends and family," George told her.

"Yeah? Really? That would be fantastic. BUT! You should come too! You need some time away from all this rain too."

"I would love to see the United States. And meet your friends and get away for a while."George told her. And that about settled it. Lucy told George she would start planning right then and there. She told him to arrange with Ron and Ginny to watch the shop while they were gone.

Lucy was so excited at the prospect of showing George her home she could barely contain herself. There were so many things George had obviously never done, and she was not going to let this opportunity go to waste.

She decided the whole trip would be done muggle style. That meant they would fly to New Jersey on an airplane, instead of traveling via magical laws. They would go camping in the pine forests, go to an amusement park and ride roller coasters, and George would meet all of the friends from Lucy's stories. She couldn't wait to tell George all of her plans. She felt like this was a good time for George to get away and do something totally different. He been really happy for the most part, until this rainy period. It seemed to be getting him down a bit, and Lucy hated to think that he might back slide into being unhappy.

George arranged for family members and friends to run the shop while he and Lu went to New Jersey for ten days. And that was that. They were all set to go home to New Jersey.

The first couple of days spent on their vacation were at Lucy's parents' house. There, George met all of Lucy's old friends from stories, and together they all planned a camping trip. They day before they left for camping, George and Lucy went to an all American amusement park and George rode six roller coasters. He love them. He even made Lucy go on the scariest one of all, three times in a row!

George was amazed at everything he missed out on in the muggle world, having grown up a wizard. He had no idea how fun it could be to be a muggle child. He was so excited Lucy was introducing him to so many new and exciting things.

Camping was no different. George was used to wizard camping in which the tents had several rooms and all of the luxuries of home. Not muggle camping. George was experiencing a tent that truly was as small as it appeared on the outside and he learned how to cook his dinner over the camp fire.

One night everyone was drinking and carrying on around the fire. They had made s'mores and everyone was laughing and singing songs together. Everyone was chatting away when George started staring at the fire. When Lucy noticed, she was worried something was wrong, so she put her hand on his back and leaned in, "You ok, George?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm great. I was just thinking about how much Fred would have loved everything we've been doing this week, and even these past few months." George replied. This was the first time George ever mentioned Fred to Lucy. But he didn't sound sad when he said it.

"Tell me about him,"Lucy said.

George looked at her and smiled. Then he told her about his twin brother. He shared some stories with her and they all made her laugh. That night, sitting by the fire in the woods, George and Lucy got a little closer. George opened a little more of his heart to Lucy, and she accepted it happily.

That night everyone went to bed feeling slightly intoxicated and pretty chilly. It was an especially cold night. George and Lucy were sharing a tent with Lucy's friends Asuka and Chris, but even with four people in the tent it was still freezing. Lucy tried to sleep, but after an hour shivering, she just couldn't stand it anymore. It was obvious that Chris and Asuka were passed out, all nicely warm and snuggled up to each other. So, Lucy said, "George, are you awake?"

"Yeah," he answered to her relief. "It's so cold, I can't sleep." he said.

"Me too. Can we double up our blankets? If we snuggle up we won't be as cold." Lucy suggested.

George's first thought was, 'You don't have to ask me twice!' but he didn't say that to her. "Yeah, course we can. Come over here."Lucy scooted over to George and got in his sleeping bag, then she threw her own over them both. It was warmer immediately.

She could feel her heart racing. She wished it wasn't, but she couldn't help it. It felt good to be so close to him. It's not like they never touched, but this was different. Their entire bodies were pressed together and George's arms were wrapped around her. It felt so good and homey. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she turned around and faced him. She was almost certain that is she did, they would kiss. But she wasn't brave enough to turn around and find out. She also wondered what George was thinking right then.

George had to admit that he was nice and warm now, but he wasn't really sure this was going to help him sleep. He was pretty happy at the moment and it was all because of Lucy. Having her wrapped in his arms in their last night on their trip together was the perfect end to their vacation. Or maybe a kiss would make it perfect. But either way, it didn't matter much. He decided he better not over-think the situation, so he snuggle his face into Lucy's neck, and tried to get some sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

When George got home, Arthur demanded he come over for dinner and tell him every detail about his muggle vacation. George gladly retold his vacation to his parents and Ron. He told them about how much he loved Lucy's friends and all their outings, and almost everything about camping. He of course left out the bit about sharing his sleeping bag with Lu. Ron was really jealous but also so happy for George.

"Sounds like you had a brilliant time, mate." Ron said to George. "That Lucy sure is something else. Thank God she came around, eh?"

"Yeah she's really the greatest," George replied. And he really meant it. It was thanks to her, it seemed, that George was happy again. "So how are the wedding plans coming along?" George asked Ron to change the subject. "You've only got a little over a month to get everything ready!"

"Well, you know Hermione, every little detail is being covered. She doesn't trust me much with details, so she's pretty much got everything under control herself."

"Sounds like Hermione for sure," George answered, sounding slightly distracted. He couldn't help but think about what Ron had said. 'Thank God she came along'. George has to admit that it seemed thanks to Lucy the he was happy again, but the thought his happiness might be dependent on one person, on Lucy, scared him a little. He loved Lucy, but what if it was for all the wrong reasons? George decided he needed to sort his feelings out, but how? "Hey listen Ron, I'm gonna go see Lu. I'll see ya later." And with that he set off to the shop to see his best friend and secret love. And on his way there, he brainstormed what to do about his confusion.

"Oh Shit!" George heard Lucy say as he came in the back door of the shop.

"Hey Lu, what's up?" he asked, wondering why she sounded so upset.

"I just broke my shark tooth charm on my necklace! I've had it for years..." she sound like she might cry.

"Yeah, you wear that every day," George said as he held the two broken pieces in his hands. "I'm sorry Lu, don't be sad." And with that he hugged her close. She decided not to cry though. She hated crying. But she was sad enough to.

"What brings you here tonight? I thought you were having dinner with your parents." She asked him.

"Well I came to ask you a huge favor Lu. I talked to my brother Charlie today. The one in Romania with the dragons. And, well, he's invited me to come see him for a while before the wedding. He wants me to help him out for a bit, and well, I really want to go, but I would need you to be in charge of the shop while I'm gone."

Lucy was so excited for George and told him she would obviously do that for him. "So, how long will you be gone?"

"Four weeks. I'll come home just two or three days before Ron and Hermione get married."

"A month? Wow, I wasn't expecting that." Lucy couldn't help but secretly wonder if George was unhappy with her for some reason. They had just come home from America and now he was going thousands of miles away again immediately. And for a whole month! But she wouldn't dare ask him. She didn't want thing to be weird between them and asking him would give away her feelings for him she thought. "Well, I'll def do that for you George, as long as you promise to be careful around those dragons." And she gave George her best fake smile to cover up her disappointment. First her favorite necklace breaks, and now this. What a terrible day.


	8. Chapter 8

* This chapter gets slightly graphic, and should only be read by adults. You have been warned.

George never explained to Charlie why he needed to come visit him for a whole month. In fact, Charlie had just assumed it had to do with Fred, and he was excited that he would have his brother around. He was even more excited about it when George arrived in good spirits. He was happy and jovial and a lot like his old self. It wasn't until about three weeks into the four weeks trip that Charlie learned the real reason behind George's vacation. It all started when one of Charlie's co-workers came over to show Charlie and George some amazing things she had been creating with the glittery dragon scales that the dragons shed. George was looking through some of the dragon scale jewelry, mostly earrings, when he found two little fish charms.

The scales on the fish were made of dragon scales, cut down to size. They were beautiful and were even flexible. If you held them at the head, and shook them, the bodies would wiggle from side to side, making them look like they were really swimming, and glistening all the while. George was thinking of Lucy's broken necklace charm and decided he had to have the two little fish to take home for her. After George bought the two expensive charms, Charlie started asking questions, and George told him the whole story.

"So, you needed to get away from her? But not because she did anything, but to make sure you could be happy without her? Is that correct?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, that's the general idea." George said.

"Well, you've been away from her for three weeks, do you think you have an answer?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, I've got my answer," he said.

"So, do you miss her?" Charlie asked, smiling.

George smiled too, and said quietly, "Oh yeah. A lot."

"Well, you know George, you're free to go at anytime ad see her. I think you've been just fine without her for three weeks. If you love her, and miss her, I don't see any reason to make yourself stick around here for another week. But hey, no pressure bro. It's been great to have you here." And with that, Charlie patted George on the back and left him alone to think.

Just a couple of days later, George was packed up and on his way back home. Only, it wasn't actually his home he was planning to go first. Lucy was standing in her kitchen making dinner when she heard a knock at her door. When she opened the door she was shocked and ecstatic to see George standing there, arms full of luggage, and a smile on his face. She took a step back and let him in, and as soon as he had dropped his stuff, the two grabbed each other in a gigantic hug. When they let go, George simply said, "Hi," and stood there grinning at Lucy . She was so happy to see him that at first she just said hi and smiled back.

"What are you doing here? You're home early! Like almost a week early!"

"I was homesick," George said, not revealing the entire truth.

"So you came to my house, huh?" Lucy said, looking over at all of George's luggage. He didn't say anything, but that was ok. "You hungry? I've got dinner ready, you're just in time!"

"Yeah, I am." he answered. The two had dinner together on the couch, and afterward Lucy offered George the shower. He gladly accepted. He was looking a little scruffy after all that time in rugged and rough Romania. Although Lucy wasn't going to tell him, she thought he looked pretty cute with some scruff on his face and his hair looking a little wild.

When George finished, he came out of the bathroom looking happy and clean. He found Lucy in the kitchen, sitting on the counter having a cookie. He stood in front of her and smiled. "I really missed you," he said, stepping closer to Lucy.

"I really missed you too," she replied softly as George wrapped his arms around her. He was now standing between her legs as she sat high up on the counter. Lucy liked that she could rest her chin on his shoulder as they hugged. They stayed in their embrace for what felt like a long time, not saying anything. George had placed his hand on Lucy's back, purposefully underneath her t-shirt. He desperately wanted to be close to her and to feel her skin on his. Lucy noticed his hand there, and was happy to have George holding her like that. Finally he spoke, softly into her ear "You asked me why I was home early, and I didn't tell the whole truth. I was homesick, but I was homesick for you."

They pulled away from each other, ever so slightly. Just enough to be able to look at one another. Lucy could feel her heart pounding as her and George were nose to nose. George reached up and put his hand on Lucy's face. He leaned in and kissed her, softly and lovingly. It was a perfect kiss, slow and sweet, their bodies so close together. They broke apart, and Lucy looked into George's eyes, just for a moment, and then leaned into him, returning his kiss, and without words letting George know she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. George pulled Lucy as close to him as possible, their kisses growing more passionate by the second. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he wrapped his arms around her body. Their passion was building, becoming almost aggressive, and that's when George picked Lucy up off the counter and without stopping the kissing, took her to her bedroom.

He laid her down gently on the bed and slowly kissed her neck and down her chest, as far down as her v-neck t-shirt allowed him. He ran his hands down her torso and removed her shirt. George continued kissing Lucy all over her bare skin, all the while Lucy showing her approval and desire by making soft moaning sounds. As much as they both wanted the first time they made love to be slow and sensual, the tension had built up for a very long time between them, and it wasn't long before the two were ripping each others clothes off. George was very excited and ready to go, as was Lucy. When he slowly entered her, she let out an uncontrollable moan of ecstasy, turning George on even more. He pushed all the way into her, and stayed in while he leaned over her hot body and kissed her lovingly and passionately again. He started slowly moving in and out of her, to prolong the amazing moment, but it wasn't long before he couldn't control himself. She was so turned on it made gliding in and out of her so easy and feel so good that soon he couldn't control his fast thrusting.

Lucy didn't mind his speed, she was rocking her hips with him, to match his movements, making him go in all the deeper each time. The two were lost in each other and completely uninhibited. They were moaning loudly and completely covered in sweat, and neither one noticed, until finally Lucy climaxed, and as she did she reached up and grabbed George's hair and pulled as her body tensed up. It made George follow suit just a moment later. The two of them, now exhausted and relaxed, laid together in Lucy's bed, not speaking, just panting and kissing. Any talking either might want to do would have to wait for the morning, because both passed out soon after making love.


End file.
